Collapsible box.



PATENTED MAY 26, 1908.

N. B. WOOD.

GOLLAPSIBLE BOX.

APPLICATION FILED APILZ. 1906.

ATTORNEY WITNESSES.-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NATfIAN B. WOOD, OF NEW YORK, Y.,- ASSIGNOR TO HORACE G. STRIPE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COLLAPSIBLE Box.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 26, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHAN B. WOOD, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York city, borough of Manhattan, New York,

have invented certain new and useful Im fold at its corners, an elastic or "pring attached to the box tendin to draw the same to an open condition, and a stay to limit the opening of the box, whereby the box can be folded flat and when released will s ring open so far as the stay will permit. also provide an exterior covering for the box which is adapted to close the open sides of the box when the latter is expanded and to make a complete finished box-like device through the open ends of which covering the parts of the box may slide when collapsed, and upon I said covering advertising matter, pictures, and the like may be applied.

Reference is to be had to the accompanyin drawings forming part hereof, wherein igure 1 is a perspective view of my improvements complete, showing the same opened, Figs. 2 and 3 are perspective views, partly in section, of the collapsible box portion, Fig. 4 is a pers ective view showing the box collapsed and t e covering folded thereon, Fig. 5 is a similar view, the covering being removed, and Fig. 6 is a detail perspective View showing the box partly collapsed within its coverin Similar numerals of reference indicate corres ondingfarts in the severalviews.

he box have shown is in the nature of a rectangular frame having sides 1, 2, 3, and 4 which are hin ed at the corners so as to fold flat as shown in Fig. 5. The said parts may be made of stiff paper or paste-board and slightly out at the corners 5 so as to fold thereat in the nature ofa hinge, and the meetsite end is free, and such stay extends iagonally between opposite corners of the. box

when the latter is opened, whereby the box sides are prevented from moving too far in one direction and thereby may be maintained in an open position. At 7 is a spring, shown in the form of an elastic band which is laid across opposite corners of the box and extends diagonally substantiall parallel with the stay 6, so that when the ox is released the elastic or spring will tend to open the box and the stay 6 by abutting at its free end against a corner of the box will cause the box to assume an open position as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. To keep the spring or elastic 6 in proper position at the corners of the box, an as a cheap and convenient means for the purpose, I cut notches at the corners, as at 8, intowhich the elastic passes and by its tension is retained in said notches.

To make a finished appearance to the box and to close the open ends thereof I provide a covering 9, as in the nature of a wrapping, which is open at both ends and in substantially tubular form and ada ted to receive the box within it, the size 0 the wrapping preferably corresponding to the size of the ox when opened, as indicated in Fig. 1, the ends 2 and 4 of the box then appearing to close the open ends of the covering or wrapper.

The covering or wrapper may be in the form of paper bound around the box and having its edges glued together in tubular form, and While the covering 9 may be entirely loose upon the box I preferably secure it to one of the sides, as 1 or 3, which leaves the other parts of the box free to move within the covering. The covering or wrapper 9 may be provided with advertising matter, pictures, or any suitable embellishment.

' In using the device the box is collapsed by pushing upon one end, as 4, throu h the 0 on end of the covering 9, which wil cause t e box parts to collapse, as in Fig-'5, the stay 6 meanwhile traveling lengthwise within the box, as it is connected at one end with the box and free from the box at its other end, and then the covering 9 may be folded down u on the collapsed box as in Fig. 4. The fol ed box may t en be laced in an envelop or held tight by a cor or elastic, and when released its elastic or spring 7 will draw the box into its open shape and simultaneously expand the covering 9, the stay limiting the opening of the box, whereupon {The parts will assume the position shown in When used as aniadvertisin medium my im rovements can be folded su stantiall as in ig. 4 and placed in an envelop or the 'ke,

s that when removed therefrom and re-.

Having now described my invention what I claim is 1. A device of the character described comprisin a plurality of sides hin ed to-' gether at t e corners and open throug from side to side, a spring to draw the sides into an 0 en angular relation, a sta secured to one oi the sides and extending eely diagonally across the interior of the device to enga e but disconnected with the opposite si e thereof, and a covering freelylnclosing the device and having an open end portion, the top and bottom sides being arranged to fold the outside and over the corners of t e device when opened, and a stay attached to one corner within the sides and free at the opposite corner and arranged to extend diagonall to engage the last named corner to limit opening of the device.

3. A device of the character described comprising a plurality of sides provided with note es at opposite corners, an elastic band fitting said notches and extendin around the outside of the device diagona ly when opened, and'a stay tolimit the opening of t e device, said stay bein attached within said sides to one corner an extending diagonally to and engagifiig'an opposite corner when the sides are he en by said band. NAT AN B. WOOD. Witnesses:

T. F. BOURNE, L. SwIN'roN. 

